Escaping the Darkness in my Heart: A Tira fanfic
by wanderingwarriorchambers
Summary: Can even the most darkest of souls earn forgivness? This fanfic hopes to help us examine the power of forgiveness and why it can be the difference between salvation or destruction.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Nightmare stared that the horrible sight in front of him. It was a sight so horrible, so disgusting, that it even shocked him, the Azure Knight.

"TIRA!!!" he yelled. His loyal servant, Tira, skipped her way with a big smile on her face. Apparently, she was waiting for some kind of reaction

out of Nightmare and must have planned the sight in front of them. "What is this?!" growled Nightmare. "It's a birthday cake" replied Tira with

glee. "I made it myself. I put all my love in every layer!" "It's not my birthday!" yelled Nightmare. "And even if I was, I would rather have had

Siegfried impaled me with 100 spirit swords then for someone to make me a birthday cake with cats and rabbits on it and says "Love, Tira" on

it. "You don't like it" asked Tira. Sniveling could be heard in her voice. "No! I hate it! This may be the most terrible thing you have ever

done!" "Then that's good right? We're bad guys so we are supposed to do bad right?" asked Tira innocently. "No! I mean yes! I mean...we

have to destroy! Pillage! Humiliate!" Nightmare suddenly got a big headache. Running Soul Edge through his head sounded like a treat at

this point. He turned away and rubbed his helmeted head, wondering what to do with Tira. She used to be downright rotten. She was a

vicious woman who would obliterate anyone without even needing an excuse. But after their failed attempt to revive Soul Edge, they both

were on a slump. In a desperate attempt for Nightmare to fill his daily quota of evil, he let Tira make the plans. However, those plans included

Ding Dong Ditch, scaring little kids at the park and also Tira singing Karaoke in the town marketplace (Which was actually somewhat cruel to

the people, as Tira is an awful singer). There was no doubt about what had to be done. He had a reputation to maintain. "Tira...I don't know

how to say this, but maybe this isn't working out. Times are tough and you haven't put any money into the Soul Edge retirement fund and you

seem to be...how can I say this? You're simply too..." Nightmare turned around, actually feeling bad about having to fire the girl who would

have drunk poison for him if he asked her too. That sympathy disappeared quickly however when he saw Tira ignoring him and sitting with her

back turned. "Hey, what are you doing?" asked Nightmare, irritated once again. Tira turned around. Her face was covered with Nightmare's

birthday cake. "Want some?" asked Tira with a smile. The next moment she realized, she was flung over the side of a nearby cliff by a

frenzied Nightmare. Her cries of grief made Nightmare feel good at first, but then he felt a small sense of remorse. "Maybe I better see if she's

okay" said Nightmare. He walked forward and stepped on a piece of paper. He picked it up. It was a simple drawing of Nightmare and Tira

holding hands with a big heart in the background. Nightmare's headache returned in full force. He heard some snickering on the side of him.

A little boy saw Nightmare's picture and made fun of him while he scurried away. Nightmare growled in frustration, crumpled the picture and

stamped on it with every fiber of his being.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Fighting to dodge the onslaught of vicious attacks by her opponent, Taki fled away to try to gain ground. Voldo continued to attack her without

mercy. Taki had lots of cuts on her and Voldo's strange fighting style made it difficult for even a veteran warrior like herself to stop. When she

found herself stuck in a corner without a way to escape, she braced herself for the worst. Just as Voldo was about to deliver the final blow,

some screaming above them caused both Taki and Voldo to look up. Someone or something thing fell violently on top of Voldo, creating the

most spectacular collision you could ever see. Voldo was knocked unconscious, twitching as he laid still. Taki wanted to check on the person

too but before that, she had to do something about Voldo. After tying him in a knot, Taki checked on the girl. "Hey, are you hurt? I can help if

you are hurt" said Taki. She carefully turned the green haired girl over. Wait…green hair? It couldn't be. Taki looked at the girl. She gasped. It

was Tira? But what was she doing here? Nightmare must have been close by. If that was so, Voldo was the least of her worries. Taki drew

Mekki-Maru. She would dispose of this little terror right now and make a statement to Nightmare. Taki bent down, raised her sword high and

prepared to thrust down. At that moment, Tira came to as well. She saw what was about to happen and in a blind panic; she swung her fist

forward and punched Taki so hard she was knocked backwards. Both women were shocked. Tira, impressed by her show of strength, laughed

triumphal. "Ha, I knew those workout programs would work!" "Why you little..." cursed Taki. She pounced on Tira. Like two frenzied alley cats

fighting for food, both women used every cheap blow on each other. They were interrupted when they heard another call from the air. "Look

out!" someone warned. Taki and Tira looked up but had no time to move when another girl, floating in a parachute, crashed into both of them.

Tira wasn't sure how long she was unconscious. When she came to, she was covered in bandages and she was very sore. Taki was so

wrapped up in bandages; she almost looked like a mummy. "Now now, you have to let me treat that boo boo or else it's going to hurt more"

said the little girl as she tried to wipe some of Taki's cuts. She looked so funny and miserable, Tira couldn't help but laugh. Tira was paid back

when her own injuries bit back. "Oh, you're both okay. I'm so happy." "Talim! What are you doing here?" asked Taki. "I was trying out my

parachute for the annual parachute drop. It's the latest craze in the Village of the Wind Deity. But the wind was so strong today; I was blown

so far from where I was practicing. I don't even know how to get back. What about you, Taki? Are you still looking for your Master Toki?" "No,

he's fine now. Nevertheless, I still have no home to go to. I'm a wanderer. I travel the land, rooting out evil at its source until death calls me."

"So you're a bum then" added Tira. Taki growled at Tira fiercely but was hushed by Talim. "And Tira…it's umm…nice to see you again" said

Talim. What are you up to? You're not being a bad girl right?" Without warning, Tira broke into tears. "Nightmare fired me! He doesn't love me

anymore!" she sobbed. Talim and Taki looked at each other, unsure how to respond while Tira continued to wail. "Tira, you foolish girl. A man

like Nightmare can't love anyone. Can you not understand that" added in Taki. Tira only cried louder in response. "We always did everything

together. With Nightmare gone, I have no home, no direction, and no chance. I just wanted to be loved. He's the only person ever to ever

want to be my friend!" Taki snorted and closed her eyes, wagging her head. What a stupid story. Like anyone is going to fall for that. Taki

looked up but was shocked when Talim was hugging Tira and crying with her. "That's so sad! I'll be your friend Tira!" promised Talim in

between tears. Taki groaned at Talim's naivety and Tira's stupidity. She rose up slowly, her body aching. Talim saw Taki walking away in

disgust and ran to intercept her. "Come on Taki. She has no one. Let's stick with her for a bit." "Need I remind you that she is a monster who

has ruined the lives of many" said Taki as she shot a dirty look back at Tira, who surprisingly was flashing a big smile. *Wait, is she meaning

for this to happen?* asked Taki to herself. "Do it for me, please?" asked Talim. "She'll be a good girl. Honest. I can tell these things. Now that

she's not with Nightmare anymore, she can have a better example. What better example then the famous, beautiful demon slayer from Japan

and me, the uber-cute priestess of the winds. Taki groaned again. "Come on Tira. Let's go get some food. My treat" Tira jumped with glee and

hugged both Talim and Taki. Tears welled up in Taki's eyes when pain seized her body. "Let's hurry before something else falls on us" said

Talim. No sooner then all three women moved forward, someone else fell from the sky. It crashed down and left a crater in the ground.

"Lizardman?" asked Talim. All three women looked at each other and shrugged.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, Taki woke up very slowly and in a terrible mood. The night before, Talim and Tira decided to stay at a roadside inn. Taki, not

quite trusting Tira, decided to stick with them. However, the girls didn't have any money, forcing Taki to spend the money she was going to use

for boat fare and food. The inn beds were lumpy, the food bland, the floor creaked and the water storage leaked. Not to mention that Tira was

a loud sleeper and Talim talked in her sleep all night. Just when exhaustion was going to force Taki asleep, both Tira and Talim interrupted her.

"Taki, I had a bad dream. Can I sleep with you?" asked Talim. "Taki, this place stinks. You need to stop being so cheap with where we stay,"

complained Tira. "Next time, you pay for a nice inn then!" Taki growled. "Don't be mad Taki. Please, can we sleep with you?" asked Talim again.

Taki growled again, but agreed. The bed barely fit Talim and Taki, so Tira placed herself over the other two, got comfortable and fell asleep.

Talim snuggled closer to Taki and fell asleep again. Taki was more uncomfortable then ever. Then again, this was the first time Taki had slept

indoors in a long time, and also been in anyone's company in a long time. It was nice not to sleep alone for once at least. Just as Taki was

about to close her eyes, the bed collapsed, making Tira complain and Talim whine. Taki only groaned in response.

The three left really early the next morning so that they could escape and not have to pay for the damaged bed. Although sleep deprived, Taki

went off for morning mediation and exercise. Talim decided to chat with Tira while they were finding something to eat. Taki sat on a large rock to

relax herself and ending up catching some much needed sleep. She had a dream in which she was witnessing Setsuka and Mitsurugi dueling to

the death. Setsuka, hateful to Mitsurugi for defeating her adoptive father put her soul behind every strike. Taki knew the story. Setsuka didn't

realize the rules of engagement. Mitsurugi committed no wrong. Determined to stop the violence, Taki brandished her swords and disarmed

both warriors. Both showed their anger with her interference and cursed one another. "Everyone can change," said Taki with a rare smile.

Shocked by her show of acceptance and wisdom, Setsuka and Mitsurugi were speechless. "Taki!" cried Talim as she suddenly appeared besides

Taki. Taki was so shocked that she awoke out of her sleep, but lost her balance and fell off the rock. Taki's grunts and cries of pain echoed

throughout the area as she tumbled down the mountainside.

Taki was so sore from her accident; Talim fed her breakfast while Tira bandaged the lady ninja's wounds. "Why are you here anyway Tira? What

are you up to?" asked Taki. Tira stopped for a moment. "Nightmare doesn't want me anymore…" she said softly. "You guys get in a fight or

something?" asked Taki. Tira's emotions flared and she furiously resumed her first aid. Taki held in tears and cries from the pain of the brutal

aid. "I was the best thing he ever had! I would drink poison for him if he asked! And he thinks he can dump me whenever he feels like it? I hate

him!" yelled Tira as she threw a tantrum. Tira must have not noticed that her fists were pounding Taki's tender body. Talim restrained Tira, who

then retreated to crying loudly. Talim resumed her feeding afterward. "Taki, I was thinking that maybe she's telling the truth. Maybe she really

doesn't have anyone. She's confused and lonely. This would be an excellent time to lend her a hand. I was thinking we could adopt her. Teach

her to behave. She's just a misguided teenager. She doesn't know any better. How about it?" When Talim didn't hear an answer, she turned to

Taki, whose face was stuffed with food. Talim was so distracted by Tira and her request that she ignored Taki's pleas for her to stop feeding

her. Talim apologized with a nervous laugh. Taki swallowed her food. "Absolutely not! Talim, you and I are on our own quests to rid the world of

Soul Edge's evil. She's a servant of Soul Edge. What if this is some plan by Nightmare to take out more of his enemies?" "I looked into her soul

Taki. Her soul is dark, but deep down inside; she is a girl who needs love, friendship and guidance, just like everyone else. In fact, Taki, she's a

lot like you." Taki sneered at first, but Talim wore a stoic look that made Taki think twice. It was true in some sense. They were both raised in

assassin groups. Both had an unwavering loyalty to their leaders. Her master, Toki, was tempted by the powers of darkness and Taki was

forced to stand against him, but Tira was rejected. Tira lacked the resolve and experience to stand with herself. "Are you okay Taki?" asked

Talim. "Well I guess it would be a waste if any living soul drowns in darkness. I'm not convinced we can help, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to try."

"Taki, thank you" said Talim. Despite her stiffness, Taki rose up and walked over to Tira. 'What's up?" asked Tira. "Come on, there's supposed to

be a nice coast nearby. Let's get to know one another better" Tira was taken aback when Taki extended her hand. Slow at first, Tira reached

out and accepted the invitation.


	4. Chapter 4

In another part of the land under the cover of thick forest, an evil congregation was gathering. Their goal? To become Nightmare's new

assistant. Nightmare wasted no time advertising for help. He was determined to do it right this time. One time, he had a legion of lizard men

that were good at causing mayhem, until Aeon Calcos went rouge. Then there was Astaroth, the golem from the same Persian cult that gave

him the lizard men. Astaroth was invincible minion, until Nightmare denied him a raise. Now he's after Soul Edge himself. The Dread Pirate

Cervantes de Leon had no interest in forming a partnership, since he was trying to complete Soul Edge himself and terrorize the seas, as well

as take Nightmare's half of the sword. Then there was Ivy Valentine. She had Soul Edge's evil in her blood due to her being the daughter of

Cervantes, but then that wretched ninja woman Taki exposed the truth to her and then she became a maverick alchemist. Nightmare began to

wonder why he had such rotten luck. Tira was useful, but she was too goofy and bratty to be a truly evil person. She wasn't evil to the core and

she almost rebelled against Nightmare one time when she stayed at Ostrheinsburg too long and was driven mad by the evil aura. However, as

the day wore on, no one that came could make the grade. In fact, most of them were jokes. A lot of them never committed a real crime in their

life. The others were so scared of Nightmare; they simply ran away. The last to be interviewed were an "evil organization" that promised chaos

and terror. It was made of a Chinese raider, an Italian thief and a Spanish Pirate. "What is the most evil thing you've done?" asked Nightmare

to them. "I terrorized my village with graffiti," replied the pirate. "I stole an old ladies life savings!" boasted the thief. "Until she caught you and

beat you up," grumbled the pirate again. "That's nothing! I brought grief and misery by playing ding dong ditch all over the country" said the

raider. Nightmare's eyes flamed at those words. So angry he was, he was trembling. "Hey look guys, I think we got the job," announced the

raider. "Oh you're going to get it alright. But first, I'm breaking for lunch. "Great, what are you having?" asked the thief. "Spanish, Italian, and

Chinese food!" roared Nightmare. After eating their unfortunate souls, Nightmare was exhausted. Was there really no one else?

"What we have to do first Tira is to lose the chaotic look," said Talim as she was shuffling through some clothes at a shop with Tira while Taki

was looking for ways to earn some quick money. "What's wrong with the way I dress? All the boys and men can't keep their eyes off me. "Don't

get me wrong. I love the torn, green clothes. You really work it. But you don't want people looking at you for the wrong reasons. You want them

to see the real Tira. A woman of integrity, intelligence and wholesomeness, like me." Talim pointed to her outfit. "What? You want me to dress

like a weenie?" asked Tira. "I'm not a weenie!" defended Talim as she blushed. "Whatever" replied Tira as she continued to look around. "Taki is

taking a long time. I better check on her really quick. Tira, I'll be right back," said Talim as she stepped outside. Tira found a few outfits she liked

and absentmindedly headed for the door. After all, she never shopped or bought anything before. "Hey young lady! You have to buy those!"

scolded the owner as he took the outfits away. Tira snapped instantly. "Give me the clothes or I'll rip your heart out!" The owner dropped the

clothes in shock and stepped back. "Have a nice day!" chirped Tira she picked up her clothes and left. Talim was just coming back and examined

the clothes. "Hmm, still a little flashy, but they're nice. How did you pay for them?" she asked. "He let me have them," responded Tira quickly.

"Are you sure?" asked Talim as she peered into the store "JUST GO!" yelled the owner. "How rude" whined Talim. "Come on. Taki's over there.

Let's go."

Taki wasn't able to get money so far. She sighed in despair. "Hey pretty lady, you working? I got some money for you" said a voice behind her.

The creep proceeded to grab a certain part of her anatomy. On instinct, Taki grabbed him in return and hurled him into a vendor stand. Talim

and Tira caught up with Taki and beheld the chaos. "Yun-seong!" cried Talim, "Were you causing trouble?" He was too dazed to respond. "Yun-

seong!" yelled another voice. The group saw Seong Mi-na, the famous weapon diva of Korea, running full force toward them. "Taki? Talim? What

are you guys doing here?" she asked surprised. Yun-Seong rose up slowly. "Oh Taki! Babe! I must date you!" Taki punched him hard in the gut.

As Yun-Seong dropped again, small bag of gold fell off of him. "You guys in town for the recruitment promotion also?" asked Mina. "What

promotion?" asked Tira. "Well, the kingdom of Arthias is here trying to recruit warriors. Abelia, Luna, and Lindsay are looking for edge masters

like us to do demonstrations and give testament about the Mantis War and how Arthias help stabilize the land. They're paying well too. If you

guys need money, check them out. After you're done, you all can have dinner with us, Yun-Seong's treat. Mina grabbed some of Yun-Seong's

gold. "I'll take some of that too" said the angry vendor as he took the remaining money to pay for repairs. "Hey! Why?" asked Yun-Seong. "To

teach you not to grab things that don't belong to you!" scolded Mina as she grabbed his ear. "I'm sorry. I didn't know it was you!" he yelped as

they walked away. "She's cool! I like her!" said Tira. "Mina is a wonderful person, although a little humility and restraint would do her good,"

said Taki. "Hey, let's to meet Abelia and the others" suggested Talim as she lead them to the central plaza.


	5. Chapter 5

In another part of the land under the cover of thick forest, an evil congregation was gathering. Their goal? To become Nightmare's new

assistant. Nightmare wasted no time advertising for help. He was determined to do it right this time. One time, he had a legion of lizard men

that were good at causing mayhem, until Aeon Calcos went rouge. Then there was Astaroth, the golem from the same Persian cult that gave

him the lizard men. Astaroth was invincible minion, until Nightmare denied him a raise. Now he's after Soul Edge himself. The Dread Pirate

Cervantes de Leon had no interest in forming a partnership, since he was trying to complete Soul Edge himself and terrorize the seas, as well

as take Nightmare's half of the sword. Then there was Ivy Valentine. She had Soul Edge's evil in her blood due to her being the daughter of

Cervantes, but then that wretched ninja woman Taki exposed the truth to her and then she became a maverick alchemist. Nightmare began to

wonder why he had such rotten luck. Tira was useful, but she was too goofy and bratty to be a truly evil person. She wasn't evil to the core and

she almost rebelled against Nightmare one time when she stayed at Ostrheinsburg too long and was driven mad by the evil aura. However, as

the day wore on, no one that came could make the grade. In fact, most of them were jokes. A lot of them never committed a real crime in their

life. The others were so scared of Nightmare; they simply ran away. The last to be interviewed were an "evil organization" that promised chaos

and terror. It was made of a Chinese raider, an Italian thief and a Spanish Pirate. "What is the most evil thing you've done?" asked Nightmare

to them. "I terrorized my village with graffiti," replied the pirate. "I stole an old ladies life savings!" boasted the thief. "Until she caught you and

beat you up," grumbled the pirate again. "That's nothing! I brought grief and misery by playing ding dong ditch all over the country" said the

raider. Nightmare's eyes flamed at those words. So angry he was, he was trembling. "Hey look guys, I think we got the job," announced the

raider. "Oh you're going to get it alright. But first, I'm breaking for lunch. "Great, what are you having?" asked the thief. "Spanish, Italian, and

Chinese food!" roared Nightmare. After eating their unfortunate souls, Nightmare was exhausted. Was there really no one else?

"What we have to do first Tira is to lose the chaotic look," said Talim as she was shuffling through some clothes at a shop with Tira while Taki

was looking for ways to earn some quick money. "What's wrong with the way I dress? All the boys and men can't keep their eyes off me. "Don't

get me wrong. I love the torn, green clothes. You really work it. But you don't want people looking at you for the wrong reasons. You want them

to see the real Tira. A woman of integrity, intelligence and wholesomeness, like me." Talim pointed to her outfit. "What? You want me to dress

like a weenie?" asked Tira. "I'm not a weenie!" defended Talim as she blushed. "Whatever" replied Tira as she continued to look around. "Taki is

taking a long time. I better check on her really quick. Tira, I'll be right back," said Talim as she stepped outside. Tira found a few outfits she liked

and absentmindedly headed for the door. After all, she never shopped or bought anything before. "Hey young lady! You have to buy those!"

scolded the owner as he took the outfits away. Tira snapped instantly. "Give me the clothes or I'll rip your heart out!" The owner dropped the

clothes in shock and stepped back. "Have a nice day!" chirped Tira she picked up her clothes and left. Talim was just coming back and examined

the clothes. "Hmm, still a little flashy, but they're nice. How did you pay for them?" she asked. "He let me have them," responded Tira quickly.

"Are you sure?" asked Talim as she peered into the store "JUST GO!" yelled the owner. "How rude" whined Talim. "Come on. Taki's over there.

Let's go."

Taki wasn't able to get money so far. She sighed in despair. "Hey pretty lady, you working? I got some money for you" said a voice behind her.

The creep proceeded to grab a certain part of her anatomy. On instinct, Taki grabbed him in return and hurled him into a vendor stand. Talim

and Tira caught up with Taki and beheld the chaos. "Yun-seong!" cried Talim, "Were you causing trouble?" He was too dazed to respond. "Yun-

seong!" yelled another voice. The group saw Seong Mi-na, the famous weapon diva of Korea, running full force toward them. "Taki? Talim? What

are you guys doing here?" she asked surprised. Yun-Seong rose up slowly. "Oh Taki! Babe! I must date you!" Taki punched him hard in the gut.

As Yun-Seong dropped again, small bag of gold fell off of him. "You guys in town for the recruitment promotion also?" asked Mina. "What

promotion?" asked Tira. "Well, the kingdom of Arthias is here trying to warriors. Abelia, Luna, and Lindsay are looking for edge masters like us to

do demonstrations and give testament about the Mantis War and how Arthias help stabilize the land. They're paying well too. If you guys need

money, check them out. After you're done, you all can have dinner with us, Yun-Seong's treat. Mina grabbed some of Yun-Seong's gold. "I'll take

some of that too" said the angry vendor as he took the remaining money to pay for repairs. "Hey! Why?" asked Yun-Seong. "To teach you not

to grab things that don't belong to you!" scolded Mina as she grabbed his ear. "I'm sorry. I didn't know it was you!" "She's cool! I like her!" said

Tira. "Mina is a wonderful person, although a little humility and restraint would do her good," said Taki. "Hey, let's to meet Abelia and the

others" suggested Talim as she lead them to the central plaza.


	6. Chapter 6

"Guys! Great to see you!" cried Lindsay with glee as she shook all their hands. "I was hoping to see more edge masters. This is spectacular." The group remembered Lindsay well. She was a mere cadet of the Grandall army. According to her, she fell through some time rift in her world and ended up in this world. Everyone thought she was crazy, but her skill with many weapons was undeniable, almost god-like. Plus she had those strange wings on her back. According to her, an angel was sharing a body with her. She credited alot of her skill and those wings to that angel. She was responsible for the destruction of four kingdoms and defeated all the edge masters who were involved in the conflict, including the girls. But no ill will was born, for Lindsay fought fair and battled for the people. Supposedly, she was to be returning to her own land soon. "Do any of you have your weapons? The people love the demonstrations," asked Lindsay. Taki and Talim had theirs. Tira didn't have hers. It's hard to take belongings when you're being thrown off a cliff. Besides, Tira was on the losing end of the Mantis War, so she didn't really care to give any props to Arthias or the war. While Lindsay instructed Taki and Talim, Tira was referred to Abelia and Luna. Luna was a Dalkia general and Abelia was a former Grandall general like Lindsay. Tira was to join Luna and Abelia with the meet and greet and also pose with attendees for artist's portraits. "Look at the great turn out" observed Abelia. "I figured. If you remember Abelia, Lindsay's unit was all female and so was mine. A lot of the ranking soldiers in the Mantis War were female too. You don't think these slobs would want to join to get a piece of that?" "You make it sound like Lindsay's so shallow" countered Abelia. "I'm Lindsay's best friend. I wouldn't say such things!" Luna yelled back. "I'm Lindsay's one and only. We laughed and cried throughout the war together," Abelia argued back. "You would be surprised how much respect you gain for a warrior when you are at the receiving end of their blade. Lindsay spared my unit and me and made us governors. We owe our lives to her." "Last time I checked, she made me queen," said Abelia with a smirk. Luna growled and provoked a swordfight with Abelia, bringing in more fascinated people. Tira watched couldn't help becoming excited. "Look at all this pointless fighting. What a joke!" said a well-dressed man. "I and my men came to join an army, not see a cabaret." "Who are you?" asked Tira. "I am Rear-Admiral Butts of the former Haltesse navy." Abelia and Luna stopped their fight and laughed. "Luna, let's show Mister Butts here what the women of Arthias are really made of!" said Abelia. "Yes, let's" agreed Luna. "Both women rushed the admiral. Some of his soldiers joined in the fray. "Grr…Murderous intent rising" said Tira, no longer able to hold in her mischief. The other edge masters saw the melee and quickly intervened to prevent the riot from escalating into another mini war.

Yun-Seong and Seong-Mina came back and helped break up the fight. Using her trusty first aid kit, Talim and the others cleaned up the potential soldiers. Lindsay and the edge masters were so skilled they were able to avoid any real injury. "What a disaster" complained Lindsay. "Abelia, we can't show our faces after this" complained Luna. Rear-admiral Butts limbered up to them. "What fun! What manliness! What skill! My men and I would gladly join a group who's not afraid to take punches and do it with such style. I'm telling everyone I know about Arthias" He left, laughing all the way. The promotion campaign ended up being a huge success. To show their thanks, Luna gave all of the edge masters more money. After visiting and resting up some more, Taki, Tira, and Talim bid farewell to the others and continued on their way. "I hope we can have more peaceful encounters with more edge masters" said Talim. "Me too. We might see Mina and Yun-Seong again soon anyway. They were supposedly sending a message to Edge master Hwang and the Korean navy. "Are they not warring against your land Taki? Why aren't you helping?" asked Tira. Taki thought for a second. "Well, it's true that our lands are fighting, but it's none of my concern. The Fu-Ma ninjas have more important things to do then to get involved in politics like that. How come you are so friendly toward Mina and Yun-Seong, despite them being your enemies?" "It doesn't matter to me anyhow. They both seek Soul Edge for their own reasons. When they get in the way, then they are my enemies. But until then, why shed more blood?" Tira took all those words in, trying to understand them. She was always taught by Nightmare and the Birds of Paradise that an enemy was always that and they should always be quickly removed. Despite Mina and Yun-Seong knowing that Taki was a skilled Japanese warrior, they made no effort to harm her. For the most part, they were friendly. "Hey Tira, what's in that sack?" asked Talim. "Souvenirs" replied Tira. "You spent all of your gold on novelties?" asked Taki shocked. "I think were going to have to pack lighter Tira," said Talim as she put her face into her palm.


	7. Chapter 7

"Stop! I can't walk anymore" complained Tira as she pulled herself onto a higher platform. "Why are we climbing this mountain anyway?" "Tira, we've only been walking for five minutes," pointed out Talim. "Well, it would be a lot easier if it wasn't so cold" whined Tira. "You should have been prepared then," scolded Taki. "We warned you days ago we would be visiting Kilik in the mountains and you had opportunity to get heavier clothes, but you didn't listen. Now come. We are taking you here so we can all train our bodies, minds and spirits in solitude." Tira growled but obeyed. The climb was challenging to all of them. Tira was coping the best she could but she was getting winded. Talim looked back and saw Tira's miserable continence. After asking Taki to slow down, Talim went back, took off her outer coat and wrapped it around Tira. "That's better. Now, no more sad faces. We're almost there" said Talim with a smile and wink. Tira was touched. Such a routine act of kindness was alien to her. Talim was somewhat cold now, but she sacrificed that for Tira. Maybe she wasn't a weenie after all. Taki stopped and looked around. "It should have been here somewhere" said Taki to herself. All three started to look for a cave opening or path of some kind. The weather was getting to the point it was hard to see. Tira was looking and feeling around. She felt something frosty and fuzzy. She thought she was feeling Talim and her coat. With them alone for a few seconds, Tira took the opportunity to show her gratitude. "Hey Talim, thanks again for sticking up for me. I know Taki's only helping me because of you. No one has treated me this nice that family took me in." Talim didn't respond. "You're not so bad after all weenie" said Tira with a teasing giggle. "Tira, who are you talking to?" asked Talim behind her. "Wait, if you're here and Taki's over there, who's this?" asked Tira confused. The fuzzy mystery creature turned and roared. "The Yeti!? That's not supposed to be real!" cried Tira. The Yeti swung its huge hands to strike Tira, but Talim pushed her down and was hit instead. The force launched little Talim into the mountainside hard. Tira had no time to react as the frenzied monster went in for another strike. Out of the white sky, Taki flew down and plunged her kunai into the monster. The roar of pain shook the area. The monster tried to grab Taki, but she was too quick to be caught. After a nimble back flip and a stylish kick combo, the monster crashed against the mountainside as well. The monster's huge girth shook loose some icicles, which were now threatening to rain down. "Look out!" screamed Taki. Tira was nearby Talim, who was bleeding from her head and not moving. Taki jumped and just managed to push them further away. The frozen daggers took out the beast instead but the avalanching snow caught them instead. Tira covered Talim and Taki sheltered them both, but the snow buried all of them in an icy grave.

Warm sunlight woke Taki up. She tried to get up. "Hey, slow down Taki. You're lucky to even be alive." Taki looked up. Kilik was next to her. Taki heard Xianhuga's high-pitched giggle. She was taking care of Talim, but where was Tira? "Good thing Xianghua was nearby. You three picked a bad day to be climbing. The thin air, cold weather, and mountain residents can take out even the best. But no worries, the bad weather passed days ago." "Days? Has it been that long? Where's your master and Maxi at?" asked Taki. "Well, Master went away to a public event. Olcadan wanted a rematch and threatened to tell embarrassing stories about Master unless he agreed to the fight in a public event." "Olcadan? That goofy owl guy?" asked Taki? "Yeah, him" said Xianghua. "O RLY?" asked Talim from afar. "Grr...enough of that!" growled Xianghua."The event is sponsored by Maxi hair cream company, so he's with him." "Maxi hair cream?" asked Taki with a curious tone. "Yes" said Kilik as he pulled out a bottle. "Maxi Hair Cream makes your hair so glossy and stylish, it makes you say "Oh yeah!" How was that Taki? Did I sound good? Maxi said I can do the commercials if I could pull it off." "Yeah, sure…that was…different…" said Taki slowly. Taki could barely hold in her giggles with Kilik's big toothy smile. "By the way, where's Tira?" "She's okay…I think. When Xianghua found you guys, she apparently went berserk and attacked. Xianghua had no choice but to fight. Believing it was Tira who attacked you and Talim, Xianghua was prepared to strike her down. But Talim came to and begged Xianghua to spare her and pointed to the dead beast before blacking out again. Once Tira was able to get up, she refused to leave Talim's side. All the while, she would whisper that she was sorry to her all the time. I think she's outside right now getting some exercise. With Talim waking up this morning, Tira didn't want her to know." "I want to speak with her" Taki said. She picked herself up off the bed. "If you're up to it Taki, go ahead. Xianghua, get her one of Master's staffs to help her walk." Xianghua returned and handed Taki the long wooden pole. "Sorry about the clothes Taki, but I'm not as "blessed" as you are. I hope you don't mind." Taki smiled in response and walked outside to find Tira sitting on the edge of a rope bridge, looking sullen. "Why do you two care so much?" asked Tira. "To tell you the truth, Talim is the caring one. If it were up to me, it would be different." "Yeah, well, you two should mind your own business. I never asked for your help" "You little brat. Talim sees good in you that no one else sees. If Kilik, Talim or I had purified you instead, you would most likely be dead or handicapped. Without your weapon, you're not that tough." "Just try something, you cow! Don't think you can tell me what to do. You don't even know me, so shut up!" "You really are an unruly child. I guess you're more like me then I thought. Taki hobbled away without further word. Tira returned to her pouting. In her heart, she wanted to be more appreciative, but she wasn't used to people being nice to her. She also wasn't used to feeling guilty either. This was a side of her she thought she killed a long time ago. From the corner of her eye, Tira eyed a patch of flowers.

Taki walked back inside. "How is she?" asked Xianghua. "Give her time to herself. She needs it," announced Taki. "Taki, you have to taste some of this food. Kilik is a wonderful cook," said Talim as she bit into a roll. "Sounds really nice. I would like some too Kilik" The door flew open. Tira came in slowly with her hands behind her. All eyes were on her. "What are you all looking at!?" growled Tira. Everyone resumed their previous activates, but Tira apologized and presented each of them with a flower. "These were from Master's garden. He's going to kill me!" cried Kilik. Kilik anticipated his Master's displeasure and wept. Xianghua redirected their attention. "It's okay Tira. You didn't know. All three of you are still hurt. Feel free to stay as long as you need to. I'm certain Master won't mind."

The girls stayed at the hermitage for nearly a month, not only recovering, but also connecting with one another. Tira had been adjusting slowly. When Maxi and Edgemaster returned, they took a liking to Tira. But Edgemaster warned everyone else in privacy that in reality, Tira might always be consumed in evil and to never let their guard down. Maxi and Tira seemed to get along the best. However, it was suspected that the evil energies in them were harmonizing and manifesting themselves more due to the extended contact with each other. Before the worse came to pass, Taki and Edgemaster decided it was time for them to move on. They were all given bottles of Maxi Hair Cream as well as extra provisions. Kilik had some parting words also. "I don't know the end in store for you three, but I pray it's good to you. Oh and next time you want to visit, you should go on the other side of the mountain where it's not so steep. Taki, didn't I tell you about that?" Tira and Talim shot Taki dirty gasped and blushed, remembering that Edgemaster and Kilik made a user-friendlier path for friendly warriors or allies. Not wanting to waste anymore time, the group bid farewell and thanks and move forward with their journey.


	8. Chapter 8

Continuing on their pilgrimage, the three passed through different lands. The going was pleasant. Apparently, the shenanigans with the Arthias soldiers earned a million hits on You Skit (sponsored by Maxi Hair Cream). The girls were well taken care of by their newfound fans. What was surprising was that despite her reputation, Tira wasn't given any strife. Her emotional and violent outbursts became fewer. She could behave better around others and always looked forward to daily mediation. Despite her best intentions however, Tira found it hard to stomach her reform at times. Deep down inside, a seed of resentment and rebellion took root.

While enjoying breakfast outdoors one morning, Talim ran up waving a flyer around. "The circus is in town! We have to go!" she exclaimed with glee. "What's a circus?" asked Tira. "It's a traveling show with exotic animals, strange sights, daring performances, and lots of clowns. "What's a clown?" asked Tira again. "You don't go out much do you Tira?" said Talim sighing. "Well even more of a reason to go. Supposedly, there would be a special guest tonight. "I think it's a good idea. Let's go," said Taki. Both girls were surprised by Taki's zeal, but neither dared questioned it.

Later on that night, the girls went to the fairgrounds to attend the circus, but the stand was all out of tickets. Disappointed, the three were going to head back to camp when they heard rustling in the trees above them. "I've found you. You're mine!" A shadowy figure stepped out from the leaves and prepared to strike, but he sneezed and lost his balance. Taki grabbed him and put her kunai at his chest. "Oh, Mistress Taki! Please strike me. A scar from you would be a trophy to me," said the young man. "Wha? Hey, it's just a stupid fan boy," sighed Taki as she threw him away roughly. He rose and dusted himself off. "Edge masters Taki, Tira and Talim all here? Fortune smiles on me today! I am Sylvan, a servant of beauty, a champion to all women, and friend to lonely housewives everywhere!" "Talim, is this one of those clowns you were telling me about?" asked Tira. "No, sounds to me he's a streaker," replied Talim. "Talim, you mean a stalker!" scolded Taki. "Tira, you doth honor me with your insult" said Sylvan as he took her hand. "I beseech thee fair Tira to give me something to remember the bond we have as he reached down. With a strong kick to the jaw, Taki stopped Sylvan in his tracks. "Weirdo! Cut it out! And why are you talking like that? That way of speaking is so middle ages," said Taki with fire in her eyes. "I was going to simply ask for an autograph…but your foot shaped bruise will work just fine Taki," said Sylvan without losing any of his enthusiasm. "Is this guy for real?" asked Tira. "HA HA HA! My love is real, my living goddesses. My passion for love and beauty could reach the heavens and fill the ocean. By my honor, I will share my love with every female underneath the heavens." "Sorry, but I'm a little young for you" said Talim trying not to hurt his feelings too much. "Ha! That matters not! Whether a girl is fun size or aged to perfection, I will be their hero!" "GET LOST FREAK!" roared Taki as she uppercutted him hard. The hit threw Sylvan back three feet and twitching on the floor. "Thank you mistress. May I please have another?" squeaked Sylvan on the ground trying to get up. Taki was only too happy to oblige when Talim stopped her. "Come on Taki, leave him alone. We can't get into the circus, so let's get back before it gets late." "You want to get into the circus?" asked Sylvan, "Well look what I have here!" He pulled out four tickets from his robe. "Hey! How did you get those?" asked Talim. "I won them. I bought the most bottles of Maxi Hair Cream in one week. Now my hair is so nice, it makes all the girls say "Oh yeah!"" "Oh no…" grumbled Taki. "These tickets will be my offering to any beautiful females in need." "Alright, so hand them over," said Taki reaching out. "I'll take the middle seat so I can enjoy my own little show," said Sylvan while he laughed some more. Taki passed out the tickets, but tore the fourth one up. "Those were the last tickets! What about me?" gasped Sylvan. "Sorry, girls night out" replied Taki as they all turned to leave. "Taki, this heartbreak will forever be a testament of our love!" yelled Sylvan as he dropped to his knees feeling crushed.

The show was magnificent. Well worth Sylvan's cheesy pickup lines. It was finally time for the main event. After a dramatic entrance, a clown who looked kind of familiar took center stage and was preparing to do stand up. "Good evening everyone! My name is Yoshimitsu. I just flew in from Fuji and boy are my arms tired." The crowd went silent. "Yoshimitsu's a clown?" asked Talim. "We all know that, but what is he doing here?" asked Taki suspicious. "I thought I recognized that getup." "Yeah, growing up, our family was so poor, our bologna didn't have a first name," continued Yoshimitsu. The silence was extraordinary. "Hey, I see so many kinds of people here. You ought to visit my home, Mount Fuji one day. That mountain has the hots for you. It's a volcano. Hot, volcano…funny right?" The sight was painful to experience. "Err…what's up with us edge masters? We war against the Soul Swords and each other, yet most of us don't wear armor. What are those lady edge masters going to do about a soul-eating sword that stares back? Boob it to death? Stuff it with eye candy?" "Right on!" cheered a hidden voice, which sounded a lot like Sylvan's voice. "Why you!" yelled Taki as she jumped up. "Female edge masters here? What's up with that!" said Yoshimitsu. "No matter. I have what I came for." A plume of smoke burst around the area and out stepped Yoshimitsu's goons, arms full of gold and jewelry. Everyone in the audience searched their pockets. "They stole my Nolex sundial!" said one person. "They stole my pants!" said another. "Goodnight everybody!" cried Yoshimitsu triumphal as he used his mechanical arm as a helicopter. "He can fly. Neat" observed Talim. But Yoshimitsu wasn't paying attention. His arm got caught in the circus tent, bringing the entire place down. The thieves were caught and everyone's belongings were returned. The girls confronted Yoshimitsu, but when he had one look at Tira, he drew his sword. "Fiendish child. My clan members cry out for vengeance!" "Yoshimitsu! No!" pleaded Talim. Just as he was about to attack, Sylvan jumped down and broke a bottle of hair cream over Yoshimitsu's head, knocking him out cold while smothering cream all over him. "I guess he's still mad," said Tira sadly. Sylvan sighed and decided to give some encouraging words. Despite who she was, she was a victim as well. "Lady Tira, I know of your nature and past, but a person should never let the past weigh them down if they want a better future," said Sylvan, being serious for the first time tonight. "I want to go," said Tira angrily. Taki and Talim looked at each other with gloom in their eyes. Sylvan, respecting the situation left without making a scene. A terrible truth was reminded just now. Even if one wishes to change for the better, justice may still require them to pay for their transgressions. A couple of Yoshimitsu's men pulled him up. But when they took a look at him, they gasped and stepped back. "What's wrong?" he asked. He was handed a piece of reflective glass. Yoshimitsu now had a huge afro on his head. "Hey, this could be a new look for me. Oh yeah!"


	9. Chapter 9

It seemed that all the progress made with Tira disappeared. Her sour and malicious attitude returned and she no longer wanted to listen to anything Taki and Talim told her. As difficult she was being though, the two didn't stop showing love and acceptance, as so long people or themselves were not in harm's way. After they managed to finally get her to speak up, it was revealed that Tira didn't believe she could shake her past nor get any forgiveness at all. They learned about the crimes she committed to the Alexandra sisters, her surrogate family and Yoshimitsu's men, which were the ones that impacted her most. After some more talking, the group decided that in order for Tira to improve, she had to have reassurance of some kind that things could get better. They happened to be near the homeland of the Alexandra sisters. Yoshimitsu was one thing, but the Alexandra sisters might actually be capable of being that listening ear Tira so desperately needed. Tira was scouting one of Sophitia's children for Nightmare and Sophitia and Cassandra knew this. But perhaps with Taki and Talim being there and also given the fact that Tira no longer had allegiance with Nightmare, maybe things could work. Talim sent a message to the Alexandra sisters asking if they could come with a friend. While waiting for the response to return, Talim spent extra time with Tira consoling her and giving her the courage to face one of her victims with the intention of asking forgiveness. Talim also suppressed the evil energies in Tira in the hopes they wouldn't trigger anything during the meeting.

When the welcome was extended, all the girls headed over to the land of Greece. Tira looked deathly pale as they stepped on the stairs of the temple of Hephaestus, the rendezvous point. The Alexandra sisters were already waiting for them. Taki and Sophitia knew each other from way back, near the time Soul Edge first started to terrorize the world. Together, they defeated Cervantes and Soul Edge. Although it wasn't exactly any kind of bonding incident for them, both women gained an unspoken appreciation for each other. Tira managed to hide away while Talim and greeted the sisters. "Taki, you said you wanted our audience in a discussion. What's the matter?" asked Sophitia. "It's not us that needs to do the talking, it's her" said Taki as Talim lead Tira out. Tira made every intention of presenting herself properly with the hopes that the chaotic Tira of a few months ago would not be the person Sophitia saw. That included washing out the green out of her hair and learning how to act in humility. When Talim was helping her with that, Talim made mention she thought the green hair was very attractive. As expected, the Alexandra sisters were enraged at her sight. "What is the meaning of this?!" yelled Cassandra. "You brought that monster here!" "Cassandra, Sophitia, please listen. Tira needs to say something and you need to listen. Just give her a chance. We'll be right here," pleaded Talim. Tira got on one knee and bowed her head. "I just wanted…I'm…" Tira froze up. "Well what is it? Stop wasting my sister's time!" yelled Cassandra again. "You can do it," whispered Talim to Tira. "I'm…not the same Tira that you fought with Sophitia. I was hoping, we could start over again," said Tira as boldly as she could. "Are you asking me for forgiveness?" said Sophitia. "You expect me to believe that you are a changed person and want me to forget what you put my family through. You want me to forget that you wanted to kidnap my children for Nightmare? You want me to forget that you broke into our house and put your hands on my daughter you naughty child!?" yelled Sophitia. "I'm sorry!" sobbed Tira with streams of tears covering her face. "I'm good now!" "Liar" added Cassandra. "I'm not!" defended Tira. "Yes you are!" egged Cassandra as she marched toward Tira. "I don't know what game you two are playing, but that menace is not allowed near my niece and nephew. If you are with her, you need to leave too." Tira wept loudly and ran away full speed. Talim looked back at the sisters. Cassandra was enraged, but Sophitia did seem to be torn. It was obvious that she didn't regret her responses. Still, it wasn't like Sophitia to enjoy expressing such emotions. "I need to find her. Talim, you stay and try to explain things to the sisters if they wish to listen," commanded Taki. Taki sprinted away to try to tail Tira. "We're sorry, we went too far," said Sophitia. "What we said had to be done, but if what you say is true, she shouldn't have been fed such chastising words". "It's okay. She needs to hear those words," agreed Talim. "She never heeded the pleas and cries of the people she hurt. If she really wants to change, she has to bear this pain."

Tira blindly ran into town until she could run no more. One could only imagine what the people saw when they beheld her. Her look of desperation and madness was eerie to look upon. But it got out of control when someone recognized her. "It's the monster that tried to hurt the Alexandra Family!" one cried. Instantly, the people dropped what they were doing and surrounded Tira. Sophitia and her family were respected and beloved in the land. They had every intention of making Tira pay. In the middle of the huddle, Tira was cowering like an animal and frantically looking around her. Terror was overwhelming her. "Get her!" yelled one of the townspeople. Tira's pupils narrowed as instinct kicked in. She pulled out a dagger she had hidden away in her boot and was seconds away from committing massacre. "TIRA!" cried Taki as she bounded into the huddle. "Stop!" commanded Taki as she took Tira's shoulder. Without thinking, Tira turned on Taki and plunged the dagger into her. Only after the deed was done, Tira realized what happened. Cries of surprise echoed all over. Taki fell to a knee, clutching the crimson-coated blade in her abdomen. "No…" cried Tira. She ran away from Taki and everyone. "Let's follow her!" cried one on looker. "No" said another, "She needs help. Someone fetch some help" Taki gritted her teeth and pulled the dagger out. The wound was not as bad as it seemed at first. Taki was sure that Tira was aiming for her heart, but at the last moment, shifted her strike downward. Even as she attacked her, no evil was in her eyes. She was scared. "Tira" said Taki to herself. Tira was truly someone to be pitied. She claimed she could never be accepted because of the way she was. Taki and Talim were sure they could make the difference. Tira had to be found and calmed down, but not now. First, the wound would have to be mended.


	10. Chapter 10

After getting fixed up, Talim and Taki spent the rest of the day with the Alexandra sisters. Leads leaked in all day from concerned townspeople giving them information on Tira sightings and also asking about Sophitia and Taki. From what they heard, Tira never stopped her escape from the land. She never made a single attempt to harm or harass anyone. Tira didn't know how to live off the land, nor did she have any money. Taki and Talim were counting on Tira staying close to civilization for substance. But exactly how that substance was to be gained was a concern. The next morning, the girls bid farewell. They asked if Cassandra, Sophitia or any of the townspeople would help looking for Tira, but no volunteers came forward. But Sophitia did have one request. "If you do find Tira, bring her back. If she really means it, I do want to talk to her," she said. The girls took that to mind as they continued their search.

Following rumors he managed to hear or scare out of people, Nightmare traveled the land looking for Tira. He remembered that Tira borrowed his swimsuit model books and he wanted them back. That is what he tried to tell himself at least. The ulterior reason was that Nightmare still had no luck finding more evil minions. The urge to do bad was disappearing. All he did was lounge around. He finally realized what gave him the motivation to commit the most heinous acts of evil. It was his irritation and encouragement from Tira. When Siegfried escaped his control and he was left without a body, a stranger named Zasalamel revived him and encouraged him to get stronger to take on Siegfried. With the arrival of Tira, that task was extremely easy. But as he got stronger, so did the edge masters. Not to mention his body was unstable and was difficult to hold together without the continual absorption of evil energy. With the powers and talents of Kilik, Talim and other edge masters increasing as well as the continued conflicts with the other evil edge masters, Nightmare had a lot on his plate. But Tira never left his side. He planned to devour her powerful and evil soul long ago but he never got around to it for some reason. He sensed a threat coming. A large concentration of evil energy was approaching. Could it be evil edge masters or a lost soul? Nightmare would welcome the opportunity to nourish himself. Out from the shadows they came. Nightmare took back his enthusiasm. In one accord, Aeon Calcos, Raphael Sorel, Astaroth, and Cervantes De Leon appeared. All of these creatures were out for Soul Edge. But in the past, they all stood against each other, trying to prevent the others from claiming the cursed blade. Raphael tried to fight Nightmare once before, but was taken down quickly. However, the evil energy from his Soul Edge inflicted wounds now made him into a powerful menace. "We've finally tracked you down," said Cervantes while arming himself. "What is the meaning of this?" growled Nightmare. Lizard man spoke something, but of course, he couldn't really speak anymore. "In short, we all came to an agreement," announced Astaroth. "The other edge masters are getting to the point where they will start to over power us. The only way we can hope to stand against them is the fully completed Soul Edge. It so happens that you and Cervantes have the biggest pieces of Soul Edge." Astaroth brandished his heavy axe after his taunt. "So in short," added Cervantes, "We decided to have an all out battle between all the most powerful chaotic edge masters. The last one standing gets Soul Edge and all the power that comes with it. When Soul Edge absorbs all of our evil energy, it will complete itself, even without the last couple of fragments that still haven't been found." "You sure are eager to die, you fools!" challenged Nightmare. "Not as foolish as you Nightmare. We have been scouting you out for months. We know Tira is gone and that you haven't made any progress to strengthen yourself or Soul Edge. You're only a shadow of the Azure Knight you used to be" announced Raphael. "On the other hand, we all have been traveling to wastelands where evil abounds, taking in all the evil energy we can hold in. Our souls are much stronger then yours, Azure Knight. Now let us begin!" All of Nightmare's assailants charged him. Despite this being an "all out battle" it would seem that the others were intent on taking out Nightmare first, then probably moving onto Cervantes for his part of Soul Edge. Knowing this, Nightmare had no intention of running away. Even in his condition, he would not lose to vermin like them. Nightmare prepared himself for possibly his last, but greatest battle.

Tira was so exhausted from her running and hunger, she was on the verge of collapsing. "They all lied to me!" she yelled to no one. "They told me everything would be okay!" Right now, Tira didn't know what to do next. After looking around, she saw a small house off the side of the road. Some food, water and new clothes sounded good at the moment. In the past Tira would have had no qualms breaking in and taking everything and eliminating anyone who she saw. But something else spoke in her head too. She recalled Taki and Tira telling her how important it was for a person to respect life and to work for your bread. Tira's head hurt and she fell on her knees grasping her head. *FOOL! RISE UP AND DESTROY! YOU CANNOT DENY WHO YOU ARE!* said the voice in her head again. "No! Stop it!" pleaded Tira again. Tira must have been hallucinating, because she thought she saw a shadowy version of herself coming toward her in her orginal torn, green garb. She held a long knife in her hand. "You can never run away from me!" said the dopplganger with a wicked smile. Tira couldn't even cry for help or beg, for her fear and confused mind stopped her from making a sound. As the doppleganger came to strike her down, something else appeared. A ghostly version of Taki came and used her swords to hold off the attack, while Talim appeared next to her and took her into her arms as if she was shielding her from the evil. At the sight of Tira's protectors, the doppleganger shrieked with murderous intent and charged again. Tira closed her eyes again. When she opened them again, she was all alone. She was breathing heavy and was sweating. She eyed the house again. She made up her mind what she would do next.

Tira walked in slowly into the house and looked around. She didn't see anyone at first. The place appeared to be a shop for travelers. Bags of dried fruit and nuts were on sale, as well as durable but warm traveling clothes were also displayed. Tira eyed some first aid supplies, maps, as well as a small section where concealiable weaponry was available. Just what she needed. A few minutes later, she heard footsteps and a familiar sight. "What a pleasant surprise!" It was Sylvan, the young man from the circus. "Welcome to my shop Mistress Tira. Take a look around. Everything is half off right now, but if you stay the night, you can take it all off." Sylvan laughed at his own perverted comment, but was quickly hushed when Tira punched him hard in the face. "You? What are you doing here?" asked Tira. "This is my place. When you saw me at the circus, I was traveling. I heard about the Arthias recruiting event and was hoping to run into female edge masters. You traveled pretty far yourself, my fair lady. Where are my buxom and tree hugging goddesses?" asked Sylvan. "I couldn't stay with them anymore" said Tira softly. Sylvan eyed Tira's still bloody hand. Tira noticed his attention. He gave a serious look at her. "It's not what you think. I made a mistake, but I didn't kill her" defended Tira. "I really tried. I really thought I would make it." "I see your quest to escape your past is going rough for you" said Sylvan as he crossed his arms and sighed. "Tira, do I remind you of something?" Tira studied Sylvan intensly. Now that she thought about it, there was something. She felt this way when she met him back then, but she brushed it off. "Come with me and try to keep your voice down in the back" said Sylvan as she becoked her to the backroom. Tira followed quietly. When they passed by a bed, Tira saw another familiar face. It was Ivy Valentine, the daughter of Cervantes. She was a target for Nightmare as well, but she was very powerful and skilled, so Nightmare insisted on taking her on personally when he got stronger. She was trembling in her sleep and appeared to be hurt. Sylvan took a moment to replace the wet towel on her head and also lifted her blanket away. He removed the pack of herbs that was covering a spot near her chest. Tira gasped. A nasty wound was beneath it and hinted evil energy. Sylvan took a fresh pack of medicinal herbs and put it on Ivy. "Thank you" she said faintly. She didn't open her eyes, which was a mercy, because Ivy might have paniced and acted out by the sight of Tira. "What happened?" asked Tira quietly. "I'm not sure completely, but from what Ivy managed to tell me, she finally found her father and tried to fight him in mortal combat, but the fight was interrupted and she was overwhelmed. I found her clinging to life in the fields near here and hid her . I can't do anything about the evil energy ailing her. I can only attempt to ease her pain and close her wounds. She may not make it. I was hoping that Talim was nearby when I saw you just now. Anyway, that's not what I wanted to show you. Let Lady Valentine get her rest." Sylvan led Tira to the back of his house. The only thing present was a lone gravestone. "What is this?" asked Tira again. "You still don't remember, Mistress Tira?" asked Sylvan. "Tira, that's my grave. You killed me close to a year ago."


	11. Chapter 11

"What?!" cried Tira, taken aback by the shocking comment. "It's no surprise you don't remember," laughed Sylvan as he brushed some hair from his eyes. "You've killed so many, you most likely don't keep track. About a year ago, you and Nightmare came to these lands seeking out more evil energy and sword fragments. It so happens that I came across a couple of them and was going to hand them over to the weapon dealer, Cephus. He told me he could get them to people who could purify them. A woman that I was dating at the time worked for him. She was a gorgeous Italian woman named Valeria. We arranged to deliver the fragments together. Somehow, Nightmare found out about them and was coming after me. We tried to flee but were caught. Valeria was a better fighter then me, so she was able to subdue you enough to escape while I kept Nightmare busy. Nightmare killed me when I refused to tell him where I hid the shards. I used some holy talismans given to me from priestesses from Japan to hide the evil aura given off by the fragments." "Where were they?" asked Tira, now finally recalling the incident. Sylvan chucked. "They were in me the entire time. I put them in my own body. The power of the talismans kept my mind sober and my body unchanged. But those talismans couldn't totally prevent the fragments from killing me. I would have died anyway. You two dumped my body. Some villagers found it and simply put it behind my shop. It was known about my connection with Soul Edge so they didn't want to be seen with me." Tira was bewildered. The temptation of the Soul Edge fragments bothered her again. "Let's see how serious you are about redeeming yourself. Those two fragments are still in my corpse in my left thigh in the grave. The holy powers from the talismans have worn off, but they neutralized the evil in the fragments enough where it's not traceable. Feel free to take them and do with them whatever you see fit. Those fragments are keeping my soul bound to this world. They allowed my soul to reappear and turn into an oversoul. When you take them, I will cease to exist. But don't worry about me. Sylvan's a good boy. I'll be okay, I think. I'm concerned for you at the moment. No matter what you do, Mistress Tira, I just want to say that I forgave you a long time ago. I never hated you or blamed you for my demise. Nightmare's a different story, but that's not important. Just do me one favor will you? Do nothing to Mistress Valentine when I leave this world. That's my only request for giving you my Soul Edge fragments. Since I'll be dead, you and Ivy can do whatever you want with my shop and merchandise. Choose well, Mistress Tira." Sylvan gave a toothy smile and turned to go to his quarters. Tira wanted him to wait, but Sylvan didn't stop. "Don't worry about me. The only regret I have in life is that I never truly won a girl's heart, expect Valeria's perhaps. She was too good for me anyway. I suppose its fate I die a hopeless romantic. It would make for an interesting story, would it not? By the way, I had a present made for you when I saw you at the recruiting event. It's in the shed in the back." Once Sylvan left, Tira eyed a spade in the corner and went to work. When she found Sylvan's body, she was surprised how whole it still was. She found the fragments, removed them and simply stared at them for a moment. If she wasn't mistaken, these were the last two fragments needed to complete Soul Edge. If Nightmare had these, he could overtake any enemy with no effort. Then again, what about the forces of good that opposed him? How could she dare want to dwell in light by doing that deed? On the other hand, it was clear that "normal" people would never accept her. Her only choice was to return to her previous lifestyle. But then again, Sylvan, one of her many victims honestly forgave her and had no more ill will toward her, so maybe it was possible to be forgiven with some more work. Tira was once again torn on what to do. "I see that buffoon went through with his promise," said Ivy Valentine behind her. She was supporting herself on a wooden pole. "Don't be alarmed. It's not like I can take those fragments or fight you anyway," reassured Ivy. "I've heard much about you. You are just like me, a near identical example. I was born the daughter of Cervantes, infused with his and Soul Edge's evil energy in me. Like you, I was also a servant of Nightmare and Soul Edge. One day I learned the truths behind my father and that sword. From that point on, I vowed to war against it and separate myself from that sword. Initially, I wanted to erase all traces of the sword, including those who had knowledge of it, possessed its evil energy or was questing for it. The late Sylvan would have been one of my targets back then. But when I learned about Soul Calibur, I realized that perhaps even I can overcome my guilt for my crimes and miserable birth. I don't desire the forgiveness of men, nor do I expect it. However, knowing that my life is short due to all my experiments and exposure to Soul Edge, I wanted to make sure I could go to the afterlife in peace knowing that Soul Edge was defeated once and for all. I'm not going to say what to do with Sylvan's Soul Edge fragments. I'll respect his last wishes and let you decide. But one thing must be done. Several seekers of Soul Edge's power are near and will find us soon. I'm prepared to fight them and die. I hope that no matter what you do, you'll be prepared for the consequences." With those words being said, Ivy left. Tira looked at Sylvan one last time. Amazingly, Sylvan's body already reduced itself to ashes. "Thank you Sylvan. In another time, things may have been different." Tira eyed the shed Sylvan told her about.

Taki and Talim were preparing to stop their search for Tira for the time being. At the moment, they were looking for provisions. "In all of your travels for Soul Edge, what is your most memorable?" asked Taki to Talim. "Hmm, well you remember that elf that came from another world?" asked Talim. "You mean that fairy boy Link?" asked Taki. "Oh yes! He was so handsome and strong. No matter what, he was so solemn and quiet, yet his eyes had such kindness to him. I wanted to ask him out and get to know him better, but he left so quickly after he sealed Inferno away. I wonder how he thought about us edge masters?" "Hey, what's that?" asked Taki, interrupting Talim and pointing forward. They both saw someone or something collapsed by the road. They ran quickly to investigate. "It's Ivy Valentine. What's she doing her?" asked Taki. "More importantly, what happened to her? Look at this injury, and it's radiating evil energy," said Talim. "There's no time. Taki, close up that wound while I purify it. The evil energy is making her weak and feverish. I think she'll be okay with some rest after we are done." They both went to work. Sure enough Ivy started to come back to consciousness quickly once the evil energy was gone. "I don't know where she got this medicine, but it really helped with the infection and healing," said Taki admiring the herb packs Ivy was carrying. Ivy rose up slowly and spoke. "Tira…she has the last two Soul Edge fragments and she's looking for Nightmare. She can sense him and she knows he's in trouble." "Tira giving fragments to Nightmare? Oh no! We have to stop her!" exclaimed Talim. "I know where I last saw them. We'll go together," said Ivy pulling herself up. "Hey, you're in no condition to do anything," scolded Taki. "Shut up! I don't tell you how to fight your battles, so don't tell me how to fight mine! It's not just Nightmare. Cervantes, Astaroth, Lizardman and Raphael are there too and they are all fighting against one another. The winner gets the near completed Soul Edge and all that evil energy to absorb. If Tira gets there first, they'll kill her and take the fragments. Do you want to fight Soul Edge completed?!" Both girls acknowledged the ultimatum. There was no time for explanations. Tira and those evil edge masters had to be stopped.

Nightmare looks at his disintegrating body and roared in anger. All of his opponents were attacking him at once just as he thought. His injuries were so bad; it was getting difficult to maintain his body. Dying was one thing but to let one of them rule the power of Soul Edge? He would rather the power be extinguished. If only his part of Soul Edge was complete. Cervantes' Soul Edge was smaller, but it was flawless. Nightmare's half was chipped, thus the evil energies could not flow as easily. "Nightmare!" said a voice in the distance. "Tira?" he asked as he turned around. Indeed he saw Tira running toward him at full speed. She was different. She didn't have her green hair and she was wearing ordinary clothes. *What had she been up to?* wondered Nightmare. She also appeared to have one of those metal rings she fights with on her. Tira came up out of breath. "Where have you been?" bellowed Nightmare. Tira was scared of Nightmare for once. What drew her to him in the first place was the harmonizing of their evil energies and their love of destruction, but that had waned on Tira's part in the last couple of months. Suddenly, she wasn't so sure if she made the right decision. They both saw their assailants approaching quickly on them, determined to finish Nightmare off. "What do you have in your hand?" asked Nightmare. Tira gasped but still showed Nightmare her offering. The last two fragments of Soul Edge! "Give those to me!" commanded Nightmare. The evil energy was weak, but when they bonded with the sword, the entire blade glowed an even stronger aura and elongated. It became even more grotesque then ever. Not only that, Nightmare began to change as well, growing in size and power. "Now for the arrival of my true form, Night Terror!" When the transformation was complete, everyone near Night Terror was awestruck in horror. Fear made even the darkest souls shiver.

Ivy, Taki and Tira arrived just in time to witness the transformation of Nightmare. The evil miasma of energy threw all of them back. Never before had they felt this kind of power before. Was this how it was like to stand before an ultimate evil? They managed to catch Tira cowering before Night Terror looking very scared. He spread his large wings and knocked her way back. "He can fly now?!" cried Taki. "We can't allow him to escape here! Even if it costs us our lives, we have to confront him" commanded Ivy. "I'm sure that even those idiots over there are thinking the same" They all reluctantly agree and rushed forward as quickly as they could. Night Terror flew up in the sky and roared. In his mouth and eyes, a concentration of power was brewing and when Night Terror released in an incredible show of power, the explosion shook the area. When the debris cleared, Cervantes and the others were strewn all around, not moving. "All of them with one shot? That's insane!" cried Talim. Night Terror noticed them and came charging toward him. The earth trembled with every step. The three edge masters prepared to make their final stand against evil.

Tira rose up slowly. The bump to her head hurt a lot. She felt the ground shaking like never before and saw Night Terror charging toward the girls. Without even thinking she rose up, grabbed the weapon Sylvan made for her and run after Night Terror. When she was close enough, she swung it and it cut into Night Terror's leg. He roared in pain and thrashed around, once again knocking Tira away and crushing her weapon. But what happened after that was even more unexpected. Poisonous air leaked out of Night Terror and he began to shrink. As he got smaller, Soul Edge and Night Terror took on their previous appearances. In a near comical fashion, Nightmare returned. "WHAT?!" roared Nightmare confused. "Wow, that's anti-climatic" commented Talim. Both Taki and Ivy slapped her across the head. By this time, the other villains came to and rose. They were going to retreat, but when they saw Nightmare and not Night Terror, they decided to continue the attack. "Hey! Those three afar off! It's Taki, Talim and Ivy! Get them as well!" yelled Raphael. Nightmare also advanced toward them. "Five against three huh?" chuckled Ivy. "I like those odds! How about you two?" Ivy extended the Valentine. Its bladed fragments shone like an armored lizard tail. "Yeah, let's do it!" agreed Talim. "I'm with you," said Taki. All three girls prepared for battle and marched forward. "Before you go, how about we even those odds?" said another voice behind them. Abelia came boldly behind them and she wasn't alone. With her were also Luna, Yun-Seong, Seong-Mina and even Cassandra Alexandra. They were all dressed in their battle garb and stood by the heroes. "Guys!" cried Talim. "Even you Cassandra?" asked Taki. Cassandra blushed and turned away. "It's only because Sophitia had to go to a PTA meeting". Ivy looked back and noticed that all their enemies had stopped their advance. They all had looks of shock and anger. "How about it creeps?" challenged Luna. "You think you can take us all on in your condition? Or do you want another Mantis War moment?" The chaotic edge masters all looked at each other and put down their weapons. "You win this round "heroes"," hissed Nightmare. "But mark my words. As Soul Calibur and Soul Edge gain more power, this very world will be turned upside down. When that day comes, let's see how brave you really are. Tira! We go!" Tira didn't move at first. She saw Nightmare moving away and then she saw the virtuous edge masters waiting for a response on the hill. Tira turned away and followed Nightmare but still looked back at them as if her heart was leading her one way, but her legs another. As she continued to follow Nightmare, she turned away completely and followed him until they could no longer be seen. "That's it? I was getting all pumped up!" complained Yun-Seong. "Stop boasting!" scolded Seong-Mina, "I'm the only one who's allowed to have an ego" While the other Edge Masters conversed among themselves, Taki, Talim, Abelia and Luna all huddled together. "It's too bad really, that girl" said Abelia. "She did what she felt was right for her," said Taki, "When our paths cross again, we have to do what is right as well" "Maybe we could have done more for her?" asked Talim. "When Lindsay converted me, I was able to forsake my previous life without ever turning back. My heart, life, sword and trust were hers to command," said Luna thinking back to the wartimes. "So what you are saying is, that those things belong to Nightmare because he was the first one to show Tira acceptance?" asked Abelia. "I guess that's exactly what I'm trying to say" said Luna beaming. "I'm impressed Luna," said Abelia while patting Luna's shoulder, "It's not like you to say such deep and moving words. I'm teaching you well" "Hey!" contested Luna. "Alright! Great job everyone!" yelled Yun-Seong. "Group hug at bath time tonight!" "WHAT?!" yelled all the other ladies while they proceeded to start beating him up. "In speaking of which, I wonder how Sylvan's doing. I kind of miss him" said Talim looking to the sky. "Ah…I sure he's fine. He's a good guy. He'll get a happy ending eventually" said Taki as she and Talim decided to join in the rough housing, which now had all the edge masters fooling around in good spirit.

"That's right ladies. I will get a happy ending every night at bath time" said Sylvan with a blushing face and bleeding nose. He was looking down from heaven and witnessed all that happened. "Sylvan!!" yelled a voice behind him. "Yikes!" he cried as he realized he was caught. A female angel stomped on his head, burying his face in the clouds. "There will be no more of that lecher! Do that again and we'll throw you to the underworld!


End file.
